How to get started, how to get comfortable, and how to make sure the baby is getting enough to eat when breastfeeding

You've watched (in amazement) and felt (in pain) your breasts grow to astonishing proportions over the past several months. And as you've traded up one bra size for another, and then yet another (who knew they made cups that big?), you may have wondered if your breasts were taking on a life of their own. In fact, your breasts are gearing up to start breastfeeding and nourish that new life – your baby. And with our breastfeeding guide, this important task will become much easier.

Whether you've been looking forward to the moment when you could start breastfeeding since you were a little girl (remember when you lifted up your shirt to "feed" your stuffed panda?) or need a whole separate breastfeeding guide just to understand the concepts of breastfeeding and breast milk ("I make milk and then my baby drinks from me? From me?"), once you start breastfeeding and get past the initial trial and error days of

finding the best breastfeeding technique (and you will!), breastfeeding your baby becomes one of motherhood's most rewarding responsibilities. Yes, there will times when you'll feel more like a milk cow than a mother, and you might even worry that those breasts you're hauling in and out all day and night might morph into udders (a well-fitted nursing bra that offers proper support can help minimize that dreaded sagging). But rest assured, with the help of our breastfeeding guide, you will see that breastfeeding – whether you nurse exclusively or supplement with infant formula milk, whether you quit by the third month or keep going strong well into your baby's toddlerhood – will become second nature. And since breast milk is nature's first and most perfect food, you'll be giving your baby a head start on a healthy future.